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Valdostan Union

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Valdostan Union
Union Valdôtaine
PresidentErik Lavévaz
Founded13 September 1945
Headquarters29, Avenue des Maquisards
11100 Aosta
NewspaperLe Peuple Valdôtain
Youth wingJeunesse Valdôtaine
IdeologyRegionalism[1]
French-speaking
minority interests[2]
Christian democracy
Political positionCentre[2]
National affiliationThe Olive Tree (1995–2006)
Centre-right coalition (2008–2014)
Centre-left coalition (from 2014)
Regional affiliationAosta Valley (1983–2016)
Aosta Valley–Tradition and Progress (2018)
Autonomies for Europe (2019)
Chamber of Deputies
0 / 630
Senate
1 / 315
European Parliament
0 / 73
Regional Council of Aosta Valley
6 / 35
Regional Governments
0 / 20
Website
www.unionvaldotaine.org

The Valdostan Union[3][4][5] (French: Union Valdôtaine, UV), also Valdostian Union[6][7] or Valdotanian Union[8][9] is a regionalist[1] and centrist[9] political party in Aosta Valley, Italy. It represents mainly the French-speaking minority in the region,[3] and its leaders are Erik Lavévaz, party president, and Augusto Rollandin, former President of Aosta Valley.

The UV has been steadily represented in the Italian Parliament since 1976 and, due to the disappearance of the Christian Democracy party in the early 1990s, it has become the catch-all party of the region, similarly to the South Tyrolean People's Party in South Tyrol. The party steadily increased its share of vote from the 11.5% of 1973 to the 47.2% of 2003, but has since gone down, and led the regional government from 1974 to 2017 (with the exception of only three years in the early 1990s).

History

Early years

The UV was founded by Valdostan elements of the Italian resistance movement on 3 September 1945.

The party was originally a close ally of the Christian Democracy (DC), with which it shared government between 1946 and 1954 under Severino Caveri (UV). After that, the party distanced itself from the DC, while approaching the left-wing.[9]

After a five years' spell in opposition, the UV won the 1959 regional election in coalition with the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) with 51.6% against the 48.6% of an alternative coalition comprising the DC, the Italian Liberal Party (PLI), the Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI) and the Italian Republican Party (PRI).

The UV–PCI–PSI coalition, led by UV's Oreste Marcoz (1959–1963) and then, again, Caveri (since 1963), governed until 1966, when the Socialists decided to switch sides and to enter in coalition with the DC, as they had done at the national level three years before. This caused the split of UV's conservative faction, which established the Valdostan Rally (RV), in order to support the coalition led by DC's Cesare Bondaz. In the 1968 regional election the UV received a mere 16.7% of the vote (the RV got 5.4%), while in 1973 Valdostan regional election, after the split of the social-democratic faction, the Progressive Valdostan Union (UVP), it stopped at 11.5% (the UPV obtained 6.7% and the RV 1.6%, while the Popular Democrats, a left-wing split of the DC, won 22.4%).

Resurgence

The UV returned to government in 1974 at the head of a UV–UVP–RV regionalist coalition led by Mario Andrione. In the 1978 regional election the UV returned to be the largest party with 24.7% of the vote and Andrione formed a government with the DC and the DP. In 1984 Andrione was replaced by Augusto Rollandin at the head of the government, which included the DC and the Progressive Democratic Autonomists (ADP), born by the merger of the DP and the UVP. During the 1980s the UV strengthened its role as largest party in the region: 27.1% in 1983 and 34.2% in 1988. Since the 1970s the UV was steadily represented in the Italian Parliament: Pierre Fosson was a member of the Senate from 1976 to 1987, while Luciano Caveri (scion of the party's left-wing) represented the UV in the Chamber of Deputies from 1987 to 2001. Caveri served also as undersecretary in D'Alema II Cabinet and as member of the European Parliament from 2000 to 2003.

After having been excluded from government for three years and from the leadership of the region for three years, the UV was back in government in 1992 and, after the 1993 regional election, UV's Dino Viérin formed a centre-left cabinet with the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), the Greens and the ADP (since 1994). The coalition was continued in 1998–2006 by the UV and the Democrats of the Left (DS), while Rollandin served as senator in 2001–2006. Despite its ties with the parties of the centre-left, the UV contested the 2006 general election in competition with The Union (rallied in the Autonomy Liberty Democracy list), as part of the regionalist coalition named Aosta Valley, causing the split of the Valdostan Renewal (RV), but lost and was no more represented in Parliament. This was however a turning point in regional politics: the UV dismissed the DS as coalition partners and formed a regionalist three-party coalition with Edelweiss (SA) and the Autonomist Federation (FA).

Regionalist coalition

In the 2008 regional election the UV won 44.4% of the vote and 17 regional councillors (out of 35), while the regionalist coalition won 62.0% and a large majority, composed of 22 regional councillors. Augusto Rollandin, who had made a comeback to regional politics, was the most voted regional councillor with 13,836 preference votes, while incumbent President Luciano Caveri was only seventh with 2,770 votes (down from 7,313).[10] Rollandin was thus sworn in as new President of the Region.[11] Contextually, UV's Antonio Fosson had been elected to the Senate for the regionalist coalition: Fosson joined the For the Autonomies group and abstained from the vote of confidence on Berlusconi IV Cabinet.[12] Both in the 2009 European Parliament election and the 2010 Aosta municipal election the UV formed an alliance with The People of Freedom (PdL).[13] That alliance was however short-lived. In the 2013 general election UV's Albert Lanièce was elected to the Senate[14] with support of the PdL[15][16] and joined the "Autonomies" group.[17]

In the 2013 regional election the UV, which had suffered the split of the new Progressive Valdostan Union (UVP), obtained 33.5% of the vote (–10.9pp from 2008) and 13 seats, and the regionalist coalition retained a narrow majority in the Regional Council.[18] Rollandin was the most voted politician with 10,872 preference votes (2,964 less than five years before)[19] and was re-elected President. In July 2015 the government was enlarged to the centre-left Democratic Party (PD).[20] In June 2016, after months of negotiations, the government was joined also by the UVP.[21][22] In November 2016 two regional councillors, including former senator Fosson, left the party in disagreement with Rollandin and launched For Our Valley (PNV).[23] In March 2017 the UVP, SA (which had suffered the split of the Valdostan Autonomist Popular Edelweiss (EPAV), PNV and Autonomy Liberty Participation Ecology (ALPE) formed a new government without the UV, under President Pierluigi Marquis (SA).[24][25][26][27] In October Marquis resigned and was replaced by Laurent Viérin (UVP) at the head of a coalition composed of the UV, the UVP, the EPAV and the PD.[28]

Defeat

In the 2018 general election Lanièce was narrowly re-elected to the Senate, but the four-party coalition forming the regional government lost several votes and the seat in the Chamber. In the 2018 regional election the UV did even worse, obtaining 19.2% of the vote (–14.3pp from 2013) and seven seats: its worst result in 45 years. After the election, the Regional Council elected Nicoletta Spelgatti of Lega Nord Valle d'Aosta as President, at the head of a broad left-right coalition (including one defector from UV's ranks, outgoing regional minister Emily Rini),[29][30] and the UV was once again excluded from the regional government.[31][32] However, in December the government fell down and was replaced by a new one led by Antonio Fosson (ex UV, then PNV), at the head of a coalition composed of the UV, the UVP, ALPE, SA and PNV.[33][34][35][36]

Electoral results

Regional Council

Regional Council of Aosta Valley
Election year # of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		# of
overall seats won 		+/–
1949 17,118[37] 43.6
28 / 35
–
1954 16,278 29.2
1 / 35
Decrease 27
1959 16,278[38] 51.4
25 / 35
Increase 24
1963 12,930 20.4
7 / 35
Decrease 18
1968 11,237 16.7
6 / 35
Decrease 1
1973 8,081 11.6
4 / 35
Decrease 2
1978 18,318 24.8
9 / 35
Increase 5
1983 20,495 27.1
9 / 35
–
1988 26,960 34.2
12 / 35
Increase 3
1993 30,312 37.3
13 / 35
Increase 1
1998 33,311 42.6
17 / 35
Increase 4
2003 35,297 47.2
18 / 35
Increase 1
2008 32,614 44.4
17 / 35
Decrease 1
2013 24,121 33.5
13 / 35
Decrease 4
2018 12,265 19.2
7 / 35
 Decrease 6

Leadership

References

  1. ^ a b Guy Puzey (2012). "Two-Way Traffic: How Linguistic Landscapes Reflect and Influence the Politics of Language". In Durk Gorter; Heiko F. Marten; Luk Van Mensel (eds.). Minority Languages in the Linguistic Landscape. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-230-27244-6.
  2. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2018). "Aosta Valley/Italy". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b Davide Vampa (2016). The Regional Politics of Welfare in Italy, Spain and Great Britain. Springer. p. 59. ISBN 978-3-319-39007-9.
  4. ^ Guarnieri, Carlo; Newell, James L. (2005), Italian Politics: Quo Vadis?, Istituto Cattaneo, Berghahn Books, p. x
  5. ^ Kellas, James G. (2004), Nationalist Politics in Europe: The Constitutional and Electoral Dimensions, Palgrave, p. 99
  6. ^ Ackland, Robert; Gibson, Rachel (2013), "Hyperlinks and Networked Communication: A Comparative Study of Political Parties Online" (PDF), International Journal of Social Research Methodology, annex A1
  7. ^ Jolly, Seth (2013), Economics, Institutions and Culture: Explaining Regionalist Party Success in Europe (PDF), European Union Studies Association, p. 35
  8. ^ Fabio Padovano; Roberto Ricciuti, eds. (2007). "Appendix 2". Italian Institutional Reforms: A Public Choice Perspective. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-387-72141-5.
  9. ^ a b c Tom Lansford, ed. (2013). Political Handbook of the World 2013. SAGE Publications. p. 714. ISBN 978-1-4522-5825-6.
  10. ^ "SI VOTA PER ELEGGERE IL CONSIGLIO REGIONALE DELLA VALLE D'AOSTA" (in Italian). Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta. 2008-05-25. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
  11. ^ "Aosta, torna l'Imperatore - LASTAMPA.it". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-30.
  12. ^ "Legislatura 16º" (in Italian). Senato della Repubblica. 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
  13. ^ "Comunali 2010 - Voti - Voti - AOSTA". Regione.vda.it.
  14. ^ "Politiche 2013 - Voti". Regione.vda.it.
  15. ^ "February 2013 - Luciano Caveri". Caveri.it. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. ^ "Accordo trovato in casa UV sulle candidature di Marguerettaz e Lanièce: in Valle concorrerà anche la Meloni - 12vda". Aostanotizie.info. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. ^ "senato.it - Scheda di attività di Albert LANIECE - XVII Legislatura". Senato.it.
  18. ^ "Regionali 2013 - Voti". Regione.vda.it.
  19. ^ "Regionali 2013 - Preferenze". Regione.vda.it.
  20. ^ "Ribaltone in Val d'Aosta, Pd in giunta". Ricerca.repubblica.it.
  21. ^ "Rafforzamento autonomia e riforma elettorale i pilastri della maggioranza Uv-Uvp-Stella alpina". Valledaostaglocal.it. 7 June 2016.
  22. ^ "Accordo Uv-Uvp Rollandin: "E' l'anno della misericordia"". Lastampa.it.
  23. ^ Giovedì 27 Ottobre '16, h.20.25. "Antonio Fosson e Claudio Restano escono dal gruppo dell'Union Valdôtaine in Consiglio Valle: «non c'è dialogo» | 12vda" (in Italian). 12vda.it. Retrieved 2018-08-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Comunicato stampa". Consiglio Regionale della Valle d'Aosta.
  25. ^ ""Sì" alla sfiducia a Rollandin, via libera alla giunta Marquis". Lastampa.it.
  26. ^ "Marquis nuovo presidente Regione Vda - Valle d'Aosta". Ansa.it. 10 March 2017.
  27. ^ "PIERLUIGI MARQUIS PRESIDENTE DELLA NUOVA GIUNTA REGIONALE". Valledaostaglocal.it. 10 March 2017.
  28. ^ "Laurent Vierin nuovo presidente Vda - Valle d'Aosta". Ansa.it. 13 October 2017.
  29. ^ Redazione ANSA. "Emily Rini lascia Union valdotaine - Valle d'Aosta". Ansa.it. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  30. ^ "Emily Rini lascia l'Union Valdôtaine: "Uv incapace di andare contro certi personalismi"". Aostasera.it. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  31. ^ "Nicoletta Spelgatti (Lega) eletta presidente della VdA: è la prima donna al vertice della Regione". Lastamp.it. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  32. ^ "E' fatta, martedì nascerà la Giunta Spelgatti". valledaostaglocal.it. 21 June 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  33. ^ "Sfiduciata giunta regionale a trazione leghista, Fosson nuovo presidente". LaStampa.it. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  34. ^ "Valle d'Aosta: cade la giunta della Lega. L'autonomista Fosson nuovo presidente". Il Fatto Quotidiano. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  35. ^ "Valle d'Aosta, sfiduciato governo lega - Ultima Ora". Ansa.it. 10 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  36. ^ "Regione,definiti assessori giunta Fosson - Valle d'Aosta". Ansa.it. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  37. ^ In list with the Christian Democracy.
  38. ^ In list with the Italian Communist Party and the Italian Socialist Party.

Sources

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